Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. 2012 report on the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

In its Strategy for the effective implementation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights by the European Union (‘the Charter’), the Commission announced that it will report each year on the concrete steps undertaken for the effective implementation of the Charter. Through these reports, the Commission meets the longstanding and legitimate expectations of placing fundamental rights at the heart of EU policies, which have been voiced in particular by the European Parliament. A systematic implementation of the Charter calls not only for rigorous legal scrutiny, but equally for political scrutiny to ascertain the impact of all EU initiatives on fundamental rights.

This annual report is the basis for the necessary dialogue between all the EU institutions and Member States on the implementation of the Charter. It therefore forms part of the process of political dialogue and scrutiny to ensure that the Charter remains a reference point, to integrate fundamental rights into all EU legal acts and when Member States apply EU law. It also presents how a fundamental rights culture is being developed in the EU by setting new legislation, where the EU has competence to act, and through the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union. Given the key role to be played by Member States’ courts in scrutinising the respect of the Charter when Member States apply EU law, this report also provides an overview for the first time of the case law of national courts on the Charter.

The staff working document annexed to this report provides detailed information on the application of the Charter and illustrates concrete problems faced by individuals. Progress in the implementation of the Strategy for Equality between Women and Men (2010-2015) is presented in a second separate staff working document.

EUR-Lex: COM(2013)271: Follow the progress of this report through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2013:271:FIN

EUR-Lex: SWD(2013)171: Report on progress on equality between women and men in 2012 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2013:171:FIN

EUR-Lex: SWD(2013)172: Application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in 2012 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2013:172:FIN

ESO: Background Information: EU Charter is making fundamental rights a reality for citizens http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-eu-charter-is-making-fundamental-rights-a-reality-for-citizens/

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